Electrical contact and edge connector having such a contact



1969 T. w. BOWLEY ETAL 3,421,136

ELECTRICAL CONTACT AND EDGE CONNECTOR HAVING SUCH A CONTACT F'iled March 9, 1967 Sheet oi 2 lNvaN -ogs Jim/ms- WILL/HM Bow/1y [ESL/5 Hay/95s- JM/Th',

avPjhlf aapm' Jan. 7, 1969 4 1', w. BOWLEY ETAL ,4

ELECTRICAL CONTACT AND EDGE CONNECTOR HAVING SUCH A CONTACT F Filed March 9, 1967 Sheet 2 or 2 THO/1176' WILL/HM Boa/La llvvewro'ks United States Patent O ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A printed circuit molded edge connector in which the contact assemblies are inserted from the rear and retained in such a position by a spring detent particularly useful where contact tails must be capable of withstanding considerable thrust pressures in a direction towards the molding; the new portion comprises integral parts of the contact.

Related application This application is a continuation-in-part of pending application Ser. No. 523,380, filed Jan. 27, 1966, now abandoned.

Summary of the invention This invention relates to an electrical contact for assembly in an electrical connector and to an electrical connector having contacts mounted therein.

The present invention provides an electrical contact for assembly in a recess in an electrical connector comprising a resilient portion adapted to be housed in the recess for engaging a co-operating contact to be inserted into the recess, the said resilient portion being secured to a separately formed elongated rigid metal portion having a wiring tail at one end and means at the other end for snapping engagement with an abutment in the connector adjacent the recess.

The resilient portion may comprise a base having one end secured to the rigid member and the opposite end provided with an extension which is reversely bent to form an arm adapted to be located in the cavity in a connector so as to be engageable by a conductor to be inserted into the cavity. The free end of the arm may be reversely bent to provide a portion abutting part of the base so that the arm is normally resiliently .biased into conductor engaging position.

The substantially rigid member may comprise a main body adapted to be housed in part of the cavity in the connector and formed with a shoulder for engaging a co-operating shoulder on the wall of the cavity, the free end of the base of the contact being secured, as by welding, to the body. The tailpiece extends integrally from one end of the body of the rigid member and is adapted to project outwardly of the connector so that a lead wire may be attached by a wire wrapping or other suitable or convenient method. The opposite end of the body is formed with an integral resilient leg extending in spaced relation to the base of the resilient contact and formed at its free end with a lateral projection adapted to snap over a shoulder or the like in the cavity of the connector when the rigid member with the resilient contact secured thereto is inserted into the cavity.

The invention also includes an electrical connector comprising a body of insulating material formed with one or more cavities opening on to two oppositely disposed faces of the body, the/ or each cavity being provided with an abutment adjacent to and spaced from one end, an electrical contact assembled in the/or each cavity and comprising a resilient portion housed in the cavity and secured to a separately formed elongated rigid metal portion having a wiring tail projecting outwardly of the opposite end of the cavity, the rigid portion having a resilient lateral projection at the end remote from the tail and disposed in snapping engagement over said abutment to retain the contact in the cavity.

New subject matter According to the added invention, instead of the resilient and rigid metal portions of the contact comprising separately formed members, they comprise integral parts of the contact. According to one arrangement, the contact comprises a body formed with an elongated leg extending integrally from one edge and two resilient arms extending integrally from an oppositely disposed edge, one of the arms being inclined towards one side of the body and 'being adapted to be housed in the recess in the connector for resiliently engaging a co-operating conductor to be inserted into the recess, the other arm being inclined towards the opposite side of the body and being provided with means for snapping engagement with the abutment in the connector adjacent the recess.

Brief description of the drawing FIG. 1 is a side view of part of an electrical connector according to one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the connector illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary view in under plan of the connector on an enlarged scale;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view, on a greatly enlarged scale, of the connector illustrated in FIG. 1 showing contacts assembled therein;

FIG. 5 is a front view of a contact on the same scale as FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a front view of the contact according to the new subject matter of the present invention; and

FIG. 7 is a side view thereof.

Description 0] the preferred embodiments As illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 5 in the drawings, an

electrical connector shown as an edge connector for use with a printed circuit panel, comprises a body 1 formed of insulating material having a longitudinal slot 2 for receiving the panel and a plurality of cavities 3 on each side of the slot and opening on to it. As shown, the cavities are arranged in pairs, those of each pair being disposed on opposite sides of the slot in facing relation and separated at the lower end of the slot by a partition 4 which extends longitudinally of the connector body.

. The inner surface of two side walls of each cavity is formed with a recess or groove 5 terminating in a shoulder 6 spaced inwardly of the end of the cavity and the side wall of the body 1 is formed with recesses 7, each opening into one of the cavities and defining a shoulder 8.

The electrical contact comprises a resilient portion in the form of a plate-like base 9 having an extension which is reversely bent to provide parallel disposed arms 10 which are themselves reversely bent to form portions 11, the free ends of the latter abutting the base 9 and serving as a spring element resiliently to urge the arms 10 into the position indicated in FIG. 4.

The base 9 is secured, by welding or other suitable means, to the body 12 of a substantially rigid metal member having a tail 13 extending axially and integrally from one end. Extending integrally and axially of the opposite end of the body is a resilient leg 14 extending at an acut angle to the longitudinal axis of the body and formed with a lateral projection or nose 15 at its free end.

The side edge of the body 12 remote from the base 9 is formed with a shoulder 16, and the opposite side edge is formed with projecting lugs 17, 18.

To facilitate the location of the resilient contact portion when it is to be secured to the body 12, the base 9 is formed with a notch at its lower edge and an aperture spaced inwardly of the lower edge, the slot being adapted to receive the upper edge of the lug 18, and the lug 17 being adapted to extend through the aperture so that the base is located in correct position as it is secured to the body 12. Any tendency for lateral movement of the resilient contact portion is prevented by the opposed sides of the notch in the base 9 abutting the adjacent side walls of the lug 18.

The base 9 is secured to the body 12 of the rigid member to form a contact assembly which is inserted into one of the cavities 3 from the underside of the body 1 of the connector through the apertures illustrates more particularly in FIG. 3, the contact being inserted by presenting the end of the contact assembly remote from the tail 13 to the aperture in the underside of the connector body.

As the contact assembly is inserted, the outer side edge of the body 12 enters the groove or recess 5, and the opposed side edges of the base 9 enter opposed grooves 19 which form part of the aperture and the lugs 17, 18 enter a groove 20 which forms another part of the aperture.

During the insertion of the contact assembly, the portions and 11 will be fiexed inwardly towards the base 9 to permit their being passed through the lower end of the cavity and ride over the partition 4. The leg 14 being resilient will also flex inwardly and ride over the inner face of the side wall of the cavity 3.

When the contact assembly is fully inserted into the position illustrated in FIG. 4, it will be noted that the leg 14 has reverted to its normal position so that the projection or nose .15 snaps over the shoulder 8 in the slot 7, and the shoulder 16 of the body 12 abuts the shoulder 6 at the end of the groove 5. The arms 10 are urged into abutment with the partition 4 by the portions 11, and it will be noted that portions of the arm 10 extend inwardly of the slot 2 so as to be positioned for engagement by a printed circuit panel when such is inserted edgewise into the slot 2 so that the arms 10 of a pair of opposed contacts will engage the circuitry on opposed sides of the panel. It will also be noted that the free ends of the lugs 17, 18 abut the end wall of the groove 20 in the partition 4 to stabilize the contact assembly.

The contact assembly is readily removed from the cavity by displacing the nose inwardly clear of the shoulder 8 when the contact can be withdrawn by an axial pull applied to the tail 13.

Lead wires are adapted to be attached to the tails 13 by any suitable means, and if they are attached by a wire wrapping method, the shoulder 6 serves to withstand the axial thrust which is imparted to the contact during the Wire wrapping operation.

It will be noted that the nose 15 of each contact is disposed within an open slot 7, and accordingly provides a very convenient test point to enable the contacts or the circuitry connected therewith to be checked by a suitable test probe.

According to one modification of the invention, instead of a separate contact assembly being positioned in each cavity, a contact assembly may be provided for each opposed pair of cavities. For example, a single rigid member including a body 12, tail 13 and leg 14 as illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5 may be provided and a resilient contact portion attached to the body 12, the resilient contact portion being formed to provide two sets of arms 10 so disposed as to be positionable, one set in each of a pair of cavities.

A still further modification is shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the contact being formed of relatively rigid metal such as half hard Phosphor bronze of approximately .03 thick. The contact includes a rectangularly shaped body 22 having an elongated leg 24 extending integrally from one edge and resilient arms 26, 27 extending integrally from portions of the body at the oppositely disposed edge.

A first arm 26 is laterally inclined towards one side edge of the body so as to extend at a small angle to a plane extending parallel to the longitudinal axis of the leg 24, the arm being formed with an integral arcuateshaped enlargement.

A second arm 27 is laterally inclined towards the opposite side edge of the body so as to extend at a small angle to a plane extending parallel to the said longitudinal axis of the leg 24.

When the contact is assembled in a recess of the connector as described hereinbefore the body 22 will be located in the lower end of the recess and the arm will extend inwardly of the upper portion of the recess so that the enlargement 28 will be disposed for resiliently engaging a conductor to be inserted into the recess.

As shown, the resilient second arm 27 is formed with an integral nose 30 adapted to make snapping engagement with an abutment in the connector body adjacent the recess so as to retain the contact in assembly.

The elongated leg 24 serves as the wiring tailpiece of the contact.

A shoulder 32 On the body 22 is adapted to engage a shoulder in the recess of the connector and the side edge 34 may be adapted to abut an adjacent wall portion of the recess.

With reference to the foregoing description it is to be understood that what has been disclosed therein represents only several embodiments of the invention and is to be construed as illustrative rather than restrictive in nature; and that the invention is best described by the following claims.

We claim:

1. An electrical contact for assembly in a recess in an electrical connector comprising a resilient portion adapted to be housed in the recess for engaging a 00- operating contact to be inserted into the recess, said resilient portion being secured to a separately formed elongated rigid metal portion having a wiring tail at one end, the resilient portion comprising a base secured to the rigid portion, a resilient first arm integral with the base and extending in spaced parallel relation thereto, and a further resilient arm integral with the first arm and reversely bent to extend between the first arm and the base and abut the latter, and said rigid portion comprising a resilient leg extending longitudinally of and in spaced relation to the first arm of the resilient portion of the contact and formed at its free end with a projection for snapping over an abutment in the connector adjacent the recess, and means at the other end for snapping engagement with the abutment.

2. An electrical connector comprising a body of insulating material formed with one or more cavities opening on to two oppositely disposed faces of the body, each cavity being provided with an abutment adjacent to and spaced from one end, and an electrical contact assembled in each cavity and comprising a resilient portion housed in the cavity and secured to a separately formed elongated rigid metal portion having a wiring tail projecting outwardly of the opposite end of the cavity; the rigid portion having a resilient lateral projection at the end remote from the tail and disposed in snapping engagement over said abutment to retain the contact in the cavity, and having a shoulder spaced from said projection and in abutment with means in the cavity so that movement of the contact in one direction within the cavity is prevented by the projection engaging the abutment and in the opposite direction by the shoulder engaging said means, and said projection formed on a resilient leg integral with the rigid portion and extending longitudinally of and in spaced relation to said resilient portion of the contact, the contact being insertable into the cavity from said opposite end by a sliding movement until said lateral projection snaps over said abutment.

3. An electrical contact according to claim 1, wherein the rigid portion is formed with a shoulder spaced from the projection for abutting means in the recess.

4. An electrical contact according to claim 3 wherein the rigid portion is provided with one or more lateral projections engaging openings in the base of the resilient portion to locate the latter in correct position relative to the rigid portion.

5. An electrical contact for assembly in the recess of a connector comprising a body portion, an elongated portion extending integrally from one edge of said body portion, and two resilient arms extend integrally firom an edge oppositely disposed from said other edge, one of said arms being laterally disposed towards one side of said body portion and adapted to be housed in a recess in the connector to resiliently engage a cooperating conductor for insertion into the recess, the other of said arms being laterally disposed towards the opposite side of said body portion and being formed with an integral nose to provide snapping means for engagement with an abutment in the connector adjacent the recess to retain said contact in assembly.

References Cited MARVIN A. CHAMPION, Primary Examiner.

JOHN R. MOSES, Assistant Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 339-176 

